keanex
Keeper of The All-New Headphone Buyer's Guide
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
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Pros: Light, clean sound, comfortable, great value.
Cons: Not for a basshead.
This review is written from the perspective of the Ad900 stock, no external amp or DAC to give readers an idea of what to expect if they buy these without an amp/DAC.
Packaging:
I was rather unimpressed at the packaging a pair of $400 MSRP headphones came with. They come in a cardboard box with a "door" which opens to display the headphones through plastic. It looks rather nice, but it leaves something to be desired. Included was a 1/4'' adapter and a plastic headphone stand. I expected that some extras would be included for the price, perhaps extra ear pads, but just the bare essentials were included. Everything was secure and safe though, and the plastic headphone stand does include the model number which shows when the headphones are placed on them, so it could be worse.
Comfort:
I've worn a lot of headphones and these are definitely one of the most comfortable, especially for long sessions. Once these headphones are placed on your head you will barely notice them, they are that light. The velour ear pads are rather soft and they do not cause any additional heat like leather sometimes does. Some users complain about their ear touching the driver, I had this problem as well when I first got these. It took a bit of experimenting to find the perfect way to wear these, but now my ears fit perfect with the sound actually sounding better in this new fashion than I'd been used to. Basically, if your ear is touching the driver, move them around to figure out how to best fit them on your head. Overall these headphones are very comfortable and I have no problems wearing these for 8 hours sessions.
Design:
You're either going to love or hate the design. The wings are not for everyone, but those that do get a good fit will absolutely love them. The frame is made of magnesium which is a huge upgrade from the plastic in the Ad700s. Not only does the magnesium weigh less, but it doesn't creak like some users of the Ad700 hear. Overall these are solid headphones that are quite the looker.
Sound Quality:
The first thing I noticed about these headphones when I put them on was that for the first time I wasn't picking apart the sound. I was simply listening to music. The Ad900 have a wonderful balance between being lively and borderline analytical, you can simply enjoy music, but if you'd like you can pick it apart. The clarity is fantastic with a lot of detail, while being somewhat forgiving. Overall the tone is a little bright, but only in the slightest. These are actually decently balanced headphones across the spectrum with every frequency blending perfectly in with the next. This allows the listener to focus on the music, not focus on how it's being presented, if that makes sense. I dare say that these might possibly be the best sounding overall headphone for the price.
The lows are exactly what I look for in a headphone. They are tight, punchy, accurate, and fast without interfering with the mids. These headphones can keep up with any genre without a problem, from drum and bass to jazz. While I find the bass to be wonderful, it does leave something to be desired when listening to bass heavy genres like dubstep. For every other genre these headphones are more than enough for the average listener in the bass department.
The mids are where this headphone shine. I dare say that they are forward because that would imply that they are the focus, but they're not. They're not laid back either. They envelop the listener without being pushy. They blend perfectly into the highs, never once have I felt the highs were being recessed. The mids are certainly lively enough to get a Grado fans attention, without destroying the beautiful balance these headphones have.
The highs are absolutely wonderful. There's no hint of sibilance at all when listening to female vocalists. The highs sparkle with an airy feel to them, they definitely help give the headphones the musical qualities they have. While the highs are present and slightly forward, I never once found them to be fatiguing at all. They're somewhere in-between forward and laid-back, having qualities of both somehow.
The soundstage is vast. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. At times I feel like the soundstage is too wide, causing the music to feel a bit distant, but at times it's very welcome as I feel the music is surrounding me. Those who want an open sounding headphone will not be disappointed here.
Value:
As I said earlier the price on these ranges. For $200 I would snatch these up in a heartbeat if I was purchasing headphones for a friend. For $300 it gets tough, but mostly only because I know they can be found cheaper. These headphones are well built, comfortable, have fantastic sound quality, are easily driven from almost any source and come with a stand/adapter. What more can you ask for?
Amped:
I recently aquired a FiiO E7 Amp that I've been running from my iPod Classic->L3 LOD->E7->Ad900. I picked it up as a cheap external sound card for my MBP, as well as to hopefully get an increase, even if minor, in listening. I know that the Ad900s are very efficient so I honestly wasn't expecting much. My Ad900s already had 300+ hours of burn-in so I am rather accustomed to the sound they give off. At first I kept the bass boost on 0 to see if there were any perceivable differences in this chain. After some A/B testing I determined that the sound was slightly cleaned up, everything seemed just a tad clearer. This wasn't a blind test though so keep that in mind. Then I played with the bass boost function on the E7. With +1 bass boost I feel like the Ad900 are the perfect headphone. The bass is brought up slightly, enough to add impact and extension, without distorting the sound, nor bloating into the mids. Bass boost +2 was borderline muddy. I decided against it as I felt it changed the sound too much in a bad way. Bass boost +3 was definitely not something I'd ever use.
Overall the E7 added a slight increase in clarity when connected through the FiiO L3 LOD to my iPod. Nothing eye popping, but any increase is welcome. The bass boost was the real deal sealer though, with the bass boost +1 I feel like the Ad900 are almost perfect in balance. Those looking to get an amp for your Ad900 should look for something with a nice clean and light boost in bass, don't expect much otherwise.
I'd like to see them compete.
